Spiral winding apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for spiral winding a rod or tube on a drum or mandrel, comprising a slide support and a slide freely movable on the support in a direction parallel to the axis of the drum, a shoe pivotally mounted on the slide and having a groove for receiving a peripheral portion of the rod or tube and confining it between the wall of the groove and the peripheral surface of the drum, the shoe being held in a selected pivoted position wherein the longitudinal axis is skewed relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the drum. One end of the rod or tube is connected to the drum so that rotation of the latter draws succeeding portions of the rod or tube thereabout, the slide being moved on the support in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of the groove.

United States Patent n91 Cappell l l SPlRAL WINDING APPARATUS [75] Inventor: Charles W. Cappell, Allison Park,

[21] App]. No.: 387,777

[ July 8,1975

Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanharn Assistant ExaminerRobert M. Rogers Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Michael Williams [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for spiral winding a rod or tube on a drum or mandrel, comprising a slide support and a slide freely movable on the support in a direction parallel to [52] (1.8. CI. 72/143; 72/144; 72/37] the axis of the drum, a shoe pivotally mounted on the [SI] lnt. Cl. BZIF 3/04 slide and having a groove for receiving a peripheral [58] Field of Search 72/144, 143, 369, 371 portion of the rod or tube and confining it between the wall of the groove and the peripheral surface of [56] References Cited the drum, the shoe being held in a selected pivoted UNITED STATES PATENTS position wherein the longitudinal axis is skewed relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal 2,811,193 10/1957 Iversen 72/144 axis of the drum. Gne end of the rod or tube is com FOREIGN P E T 0R APPLICATIONS nected to the drum so that rotation of the latter draws 526,752 5/193! Germany 72/144 succeeding portions of the rod or tube thereabout, the 639,663 5/1962 Italy 72/144 slide being moved on the support in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of the groove.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 3 J 27L 4 F 16 42 25 l l l I I! i l I l I 5 l l I I 'I 7 l 5 I t I i l i i I A l il 15 V 4 )5 20 PATEHTFHJUL P 1975 SHEET w w W SHEET PATEN EUJU! B'ms i K i I SPIRAL WINDING APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY The present invention relates to apparatus for bending an elongated deformable member, such as a metal rod or tube, to spiral formation. Spiralling machines are known in the art, but when the article to be spiralled is of a substantial diameter, such machines are large and expensive.

My invention provides a small, inexpensive device which may be in the form ofa fixture adapted to be easily attached to an ordinary lathe having a compound rest and a rotatable chuck. The device may be used for spiralling straight metal rods or tubes, or metalsheathed electric heating elements.

The improved structure is simple, but effective, and comprises a slide support which may be connected to the compound rest of a lathe so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the axis of a drum or mandrel carried by the lathe chuck. A slide is mounted onthe support for free movement axially therealong, and a shoe is pivoted on the slide and has a groove in a face thereof. The groove is adapted to receive a peripheral portion of the elongated member to be spiralled and to confine such portion between the wall of the groove and the periphery of the drum. The shoe may be adjusted to selected positions wherein the longitudinal axis of the groove is in skewed relation with a transverse plane normal to the axis of the drum. One end of the elongated member is fixed to the drum and as the latter rotates it draws successive portions of the elongated member about the drum. The skewed position of the groove provides a force component which moves the slide along the slide support.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings accompanying this description and forming a part of this application, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment which my invention may assume, and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end view of my improved spiralling apparatus, parts of a lathe being fragmentarily shown,

FIG. 2 is a top view looking in the direction of the line 22 of FIG. I,

FIG. 3 is a separated perspective view showing details of construction,

FIG. 4 is a side view looking in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a face view of the slide and shoe, looking in the direction of the line 5-5 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the shoe in a skewed position, and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved apparatus of my invention is particularly adapted for use with a lathe of commercial construction, especially when the lathe has a compound rest and a chuck. Since the lathe per se forms no part of my invention, the compound rest 10 and chuck 11 are only fragmentarily shown. As in usual lathe construction, the rest 10 is movable toward and away from the axis of the chuck, as shown by the double headed arrow 12 in FIG. 3, and is movable parallel to the axis of the chuck, as shown by the double headed arrow 14 inFlG. 3.

The improved fixture for use with the lathe comprises a base 15 (see especially FIG. 3) having upstanding end members 16-16 bolted thereto. The base is adapted to seat within the T-slot 17 of the compound rest, and to effect easy assembly, the base has a portion 18 of a reduced width which is slightly less than the slot opening 19 so that when the portion 18 is aligned vertically with the slot, as suggested in FIG. 3, the base may belowered into seating relation within the slot. The base may then be moved longitudinally so that the wider portion 20 fits within the slot to prevent vertical separation of the base and compound rest. Socket screws 21 are threaded into holes 22 in the base to lock the latter in selected position within the T-slot 17.

The end members l6 may be secured to the base 15 in any suitable manner, such as by bolts (not shown) passing through holes 23 in the base and threaded into holes in the lower portion of an end member 16. The end members are each formed with an opening 24 to closely receive a respective end of a slide support, here shown as a cylindrical rod 25. The rod is held in position by socket screws 26.

Mounted onthe rod 25 is a slide 27, a ball bushing 28 (suggested in FIG. 7) permitting the slide to move freely along the rod, as well as to rotate about the latter. A shoe 30,'p*referably formed of brass, is pivotally mounted on the slide by means of dowel pin 31. The shoe is formed with arcuate slots 32 which are concentric with the axis of the pin 31, and the shanks of socket head bolts 33 pass through the slots 32 and are threaded into the slide 27. Thus, the shoe may be locked in any selected pivoted position relative to the slide.

The shoe 30 has an elongated groove 34 in its outer face and, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, that portion of the groove above the axis of the pin 31 being longer than the portion below the pin, for a reason to appear. The groove 34 is half round in cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2, and is adapted to confine an adjoining portion of an elongated rod or tube 35 between its wall surface and the adjoining peripheral surface of a drum or mandrel 36 which has one end clamped in the chuck 11.

The circular cross-section of the groove 34 is chosen to conform to the diameter of the rod or tube to be spiralled and the diameter of the drum or mandrel is chosen to conform to the desired inside diameter of the spiralled rod.

In operation, with the fixture firmly clamped to the compound rest 10, the shoe 30 is first set to and locked in a predetermined position about the axis of the dowel pin 31 so that the-longitudinal axis of the groove 34 is in a selected skewed relation with respect to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the drum 36.

The usual wheel adjustments for the compound rest are rotated to position the fixture so that it is in operative position relative to the drum 36, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The slide 27 is moved along the guide rod 25 adjacent to one or the other of the end members 16. In FIG. 4, the slide 27 is positioned adjacent to the left hand end member 16 and the shoe 30 has its groove 34 skewed as shown in dotted lines.

One end of the elongated rod or tube 35is inserted through the space between the groove wall and the peripheral surface of the drum 36. The compound rest 10 may be backed away from the drum a slight amount so that the rod end may be easily inserted, and then moved to cause the rod 35 to be clamped between groove wall and the drum periphery. Theextremity of the rod one end is held to rotation with the drum, as seen in FIG. 1, by means of a clamp 40 which may be releasably connected to the drum by a wing screw 41.

As seen in FIG. 1, the axis of the guide rod 25 is below the axis of the drum 36 so that the shoe 30 is at a slight incline. As seen by the dot-dash line 42, in FIG. 1, a straight line extends through the centers of the drum 36 and guide rod 25, and the longitudinal axis of the dowel pin 31, to form a pass for the rod or tube 35. The chuck 11 may now be rotated in the direction of the arrow 42 seen in FIG. 4, so that successive portions of the rod or tube are drawn through the pass formed by the groove wall and drum periphery to bend the rod or tube around the drum. The longer portion of the groove 34 is above the line 42 and thus provides a bending movement above the pivot point formed by the pin 31 so as to bend the rod or tube ahead of the tangent point defined by the line 42. This is especially important in the bending of tubes, since otherwise the tube might be flattened.

As the drum 36 is rotated, the rod or tube is spirally wound about the drum the pitch of the spiral being determinedby the angle of skew of the groove 34. Movement of the rod or tube through the groove generates a force component in the direction of the arrow 43 in FIG. 4, to cause the slide 27 to move along the guide rod 25 in an amount corresponding to the pitch of the spiral.

It is possible to spirally wind the rod or tube 35 about the drum 36 from the right hand end of FIG. 4. in this case, the guide 27 would originally be positioned adjacent to the right hand end member 16 and the groove 34 skewed as shown in dot-dash lines.

Although the fixture is particularly adapted for use with a lathe having a chuck, it will be appreciated that the drum may be supported between line and dead centers and the drum rotated by a dog at the live center. Also, the fixture may be used without relation to a lathe. ln such case, the drum may be rotatably supported and driven in any suitable manner wherein one end may be cleared for removal of the spiralled rod or tube, and the fixture adjustably supported adjacent to the drum.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound,

a slide support comprising an elongated base member and upstanding end members fixed to opposite ends of said base member, said base member being fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, i

a slide, a guide rod carried by and extending between said end members, the longitudinal axis of said guide rod being spaced from but parallelto the longitudinal axis of said drum, said slide being freely movable along said guide rod,

a shoe pivotally mountedon said slide, the axis of the pivot being normalto the longitudinal axis of said base member,

a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum,

means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a trans verse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

means for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated mem ber through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide support in, the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.

2. The construction according to claim I wherein a ball bushing journals said slide on said guide rod, whereby said slide may rotate freely about said guide rod as well as move freely axially thereof.

3. Apparatus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising:

a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound,

an elongated slide support fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

a slide carried by said slide support and freely movable axially therealong,

a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support, said shoe being formed with an arcuate slot which is concentric with the axis of its pivot, the shank of a bolt passing through said slot and threaded into said slide, the head of said bolt bearing against an outwardly directed surface of said shoe,

a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum,

means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

means. for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated member through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.

4. Apparatus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising:

a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound,

an elongated slide support fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

a slide carried by said slide support and freely movable axially therealong,

a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support,

a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral suface of said drum, said groove being longer on one side of the shoe pivot than the other, said elongated member being fed into said pass from the longer side of said groove,

means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

means for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated member through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.

5. A fixture for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, said fixture being adapted for use with a lathe having a compound rest formed with a T-slot, said lathe also having a rotatable chuck in which one end of a winding drum is held, said fixture comprising:

an elongated slide support comprising an elongated base member adapted to be seated in said T-slot,

and upstanding end members fixed to opposite ends of said base member,

a guide rod carried by and extending between said end members so that when said base member is seated in said T-slot, the longitudinal axis of said guide rod is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

a slide carried by and freely movable axially along said guide rod,

a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support,

a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum,

means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum,

means adapted to hold one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby when the latter is rotated, succeeding portions of said elongated member are drawn through said groove and are spirally wound about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.

6. The construction according to claim 5 wherein said base member has a portion of reduced width to pass through the opening of said T-slot, and a wider portion which closely fits the defining surfaces of said slot. 

1. Apparatus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising: a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound, a slide support comprising an elongated base member and upstanding end members fixed to opposite ends of said base member, said base member being fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, a slide, a guide rod carried by and extending between said end members, the longitudinal axis of said guide rod being spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, said slide being freely movable along said guide rod, a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said base member, a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum, means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum, means for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated member through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.
 2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a ball bushing journals said slide on said guide rod, whereby said slide may rotate freely about said guide rod as well as move freely axially thereof.
 3. ApparAtus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising: a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound, an elongated slide support fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, a slide carried by said slide support and freely movable axially therealong, a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support, said shoe being formed with an arcuate slot which is concentric with the axis of its pivot, the shank of a bolt passing through said slot and threaded into said slide, the head of said bolt bearing against an outwardly directed surface of said shoe, a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum, means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum, means, for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated member through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.
 4. Apparatus for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, comprising: a rotatable drum upon which said elongated member is to be wound, an elongated slide support fixed in position so that its longitudinal axis is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, a slide carried by said slide support and freely movable axially therealong, a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support, a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral suface of said drum, said groove being longer on one side of the shoe pivot than the other, said elongated member being fed into said pass from the longer side of said groove, means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum, means for holding one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby drum rotation draws succeeding portions of said elongated member through said groove and spirally winds said member about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.
 5. A fixture for winding an elongated deformable member, such as a rod or tube, to spiral formation, said fixture being adapted for use with a lathe having a compound rest formed with a T-slot, said lathe also having a rotatable chuck in which one end of a winding drum is held, said fixture comprising: an elongated slide support comprising an elongated base member adapted to be seated in said T-slot, and upstanding end members fixed to opposite ends of said base member, a guide rod carried by and extending between said end members so that when said base member is seated in said T-slot, the longitudinal axis of said guide rod is spaced from but parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum, a slide carried by and freely movable axially along said guide rod, a shoe pivotally mounted on said slide, the axis of the pivot being normal to the longitudinal axis of said slide support, a groove in a face of said shoe for receiving a peripheral portion of said elongated member and for confining the latter in a pass formed by the defining wall of said groove and the adjoining peripheral surface of said drum, means for holding said shoe in a selected pivoted position on said slide wherein the longitudinal axis of said groove is in skewed relation relative to a transverse plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said drum, means adapted to hold one end of said elongated member for rotation with said drum whereby when the latter is rotated, succeeding portions of said elongated member are drawn through said groove and are spirally wound about said drum, sliding movement of said elongated member through said groove generating a force component which moves said slide along said slide support in the direction of the spiral winding and in an amount corresponding to the skewed relation of said groove.
 6. The construction according to claim 5 wherein said base member has a portion of reduced width to pass through the opening of said T-slot, and a wider portion which closely fits the defining surfaces of said slot. 